Post Tagged with: "lunch"

Known for being one of the best in the west, Holy Basil has branched out from the central Asian restaurant hub in Canley Vale and scattered its blessings upon Sydney’s CBD.

Best described as a divine eating experience, you’re immediately immersed into the exoticism of Thai and Laotian culture through the cacophony of intense smells, sights and vivid colours scattered across every table.

The story of the restaurant’s unique food heralding from deep in the southwest is not unknown – local cuisine hitting a high note and making it big in the city. But this fresh new location offers something a little more posh. Mashing together a perfect balance between sophisticated and casual dining are long wooden communal tables, dazzling red ceiling lanterns, and extravagant golden statues.

A mellow aroma of herbs and spices escapes the open kitchen and ties in with the décor, capturing the essence of Asian culture, Buddhist tradition and Thai delicacies. Come opening time at midday, the Liverpool St restaurant is thriving with hungry eaters scouting a convenient location for both sociable catch ups and business lunch meetings.

The menu offers a modern twist on traditional Thai and Laotian dishes ranging from rich creamy curries, to exotic salads. Then there’s the not to be missed marinated seafood and red meats, roasted or fried to perfection. Every dish is bursting with flavour combinations that are sure to not only satisfy but also excite.

Oodles of noodles with this winner – Pad See Ew. Image by Jina Hong

In true essence of Asian cultures far and wide, sharing dishes with fellow dining companions is the way to go, and is definitely the best way to explore the menu – it’s also an easy way to save yourself from forking out big bucks and purchasing several dishes for your lonesome.

But wait, there’s more! In addition to the savoury dishes on offer, it is impossible to over look the intriguing desserts, especially the likes of the outstandingly popular fried vanilla ice cream, encased in a warm and crispy fried pastry sheet, served with coconut muesli, caramel drizzle and topped off with a light dusting of icing sugar. The whole arrangement is a serious killer in taste, texture, and presentation. With those 3 boxes checked, it’s no wonder this mouthful is a foodie fave.

From start to finish, your tastebuds will be on a ride through sugar, spice, and everything nice, so expect nothing short of a glorious stomach-filling meal and a sanctified soul after an experience at this heavenly destination.

A lot can be said for a man who introduces great coffee to a region of Sydney long untouched by inner-west coffee connoisseurs in favour of something a tad closer to the city’s art-filled laneways and beachside barista hangouts.

Frank Angilletta – who we believe to be an angel in disguise if his Italian last name isn’t enough – has successfully sculpted a café setup that suits the burgeoning southwest region of Sydney and become a mecca for Liverpool’s coffee-deprived residents.

Having grown up in the area, Angilletta says he “could see there wasn’t anywhere decent in Liverpool to get a cup of coffee.” And that’s how the idea for Ristretto & Co, his cosy Surry Hills-like terrace café that sits proudly next to St. Luke’s Church on Northumberland St, was born. He saw the opportunity, and like an angel, descended upon the narrow block of land with a plan to resurrect the area’s associations as a caffeine-dead-zone with that of abundant life.

Campos Coffee brewed to any bean-hunter’s top standards, every hot-drip beverage is a knockout. Flat white to foamy cappuccino, every cup is guaranteed to be a winner. And then there’s the rest of the drink menu – creamy hot chocolates, a T2 selection, and fresh orange juice, which we guarantee is 100% fresh – we witnessed a trolley load of the citrus fruit being delivered to the store room upon arrival.

Moving onto edibles, Ristretto is open for brekkie or lunch, but for anyone ready to take on the chef’s Italian cooking skills, lunchtime is where the menu has been weaved together from regions around Italia. There’s paninis and pastas of the day, traditional beef lasagne, pizza e toglio – and a vegetarian’s dream: bruschetta with grilled eggplant, zucchini, roasted peppers, Persian feta, rocket and pesto.

Despite the generous selection on offer after midday, breakfast is where the star players come out. From the simple, but sublime burnt fig and raisin toast to the extravagant bread boards layered with grilled truss tomatoes, poached eggs and a variety of meats or vegetables, there’s plenty to stress over when ordering. But the top dog is Angilletta’s favourite – “it would have to be our signature dish, the uovo in pomodoro,” which is free-range egg poached with chorizo, spinach & pomodoro sauce in a terracotta pot, served with toasted sourdough. The cost of this saucy monster? Less than $15.

Fig and raisin toast, with jam and butter.

Perhaps the greatest ensemble of coffee beans, Italian-esque delicacies and kitsch, mismatched furniture we’ve ever come across (you’ll also love the ferns dangling from the awning in the courtyard out back), guardian angel Angilletta has commenced construction on a second venture – and it’s almost finished.

Opening January 27 at 7am for the Monday rush, pop-up The Shed will bring new life to Bigge Park, servicing customers from the mega-sized Liverpool Hospital, TAFE and nearby transport interchange. “It’s a beautiful space on the grass,” Angilletta says. “The building is actually an old changing room that we’re fitting out.”

More of a tuckshop than hit Ristretto, the focus will be on easy meals and coffee. “But there’ll be sandwiches, salads and other produce made onsite at Ristretto and delivered daily,” he points out.

Regardless of the downsize to the amazing menu, The Shed will be a welcome addition to Liverpool’s café culture. Sitting on the grass, iced frappe in hand and munching on a grilled panini seems the perfect way to spend a lunch break, or heck – any time of day.

Being situated so close to the station, there’ll be no excuses from any inner-city coffee fiends not to pop by and revel in the new Liverpool that Angel-etta is helping create.

A soul-filled slice of Sydney CBD takes the form of Marlowe’s Way, writes Ryan Auberson-Walsh.

For a slick little city café with vinyl plastered across the walls and over doorframes, you’d certainly expect a bit of noise to be blasted from the in-house sound system – an old-school record player. But a mini construction zone set up in front of the laneway coffee stop is temporarily hogging a visitor’s first impression.

Walk past the grey concrete and bouncing jackhammers however, and Marlowe’s Way sits, proudly as ever, tucked in the side of a beautifully ageing Bridge St building. As you creep closer to the robust caffeine aroma wafting from the gleaming countertop appliance, the sounds of James Brown or Jimi Hendrix blare soul and rhythm into your eardrums – the cacophony of street sounds and blues slowly morphing into a symphony of urban noise.

Perhaps a reminder of a bygone era when outdoor festivals and record bars peaked in popularity across the world, the friendly décor and quality croissants (among other amazing nibblies) cement this record bar as a colourful addition to Sydney CBD’s eclectic café scene.

Construction ruckus aside, one would be a fool not to swing by, let the barista whip up a stupendously smooth latte and munch on one of the menu’s numerous delectables. From the simple flavours of the avocado toast with lemon and seasoned olive oil to your choice of three breakfast boards (think boiled egg and mayo with prosciutto, salmon or provolone on rye crispbread), brekkie is a treat.

And lunch you ask? The tastiest salads in the city’s north, or a generous selection of heavier treats – but we think that if you’re sitting at a messy office desk and in need of a bite or coffee top up, we advise you to “get up offa that thing” and visit this groovy hole-in-the-wall for yourself.

The freshly relocated Panzerotti is back with a bang. And Ryan Auberson-Walsh is pretty happy with the new offerings.

A favourite restaurant contender for the busy CBD crowds, Panzerotti is generally open for breakfast through to late lunch weekdays, whipping up some of the most filling Italian-style dishes in Sydney.

Having recently moved to a new location with more room for the lunchtime rush, they’re now wedged underneath a heritage sandstone church with views opposite of Wynyard Park. But it’s also meant that their humble café has transformed into a new after hours bar and restaurant, becoming a hub to unwind and relax after a stressful day in the office.

With the move has also come a new menu – having been granted a liquor licence they’ve come up with some quirky cocktails that are just as delicious to taste than they appear on paper. The Bees Knees is exactly as it sounds, blending whiskey, pineapple, lime, honey and mint, while the Days End is something wicked to wind down with – bison vodka, basil, lemon and white vermouth.

Beers include the inevitable Peroni (what Italian bar is complete without this), Vale Ale, Stone & Wood, Balmain Pale Ale and Hop Hog. But for something a little fuller, there’s a neat selection of Italian, Australian and New Zealand reds, whites and rosés on offer.

When it comes to food, it’s obvious from the lunch menu that Panzerotti take their pasta seriously – a highlight for dining in or takeout, there’s a choice of penne, linguine and homemade gnocchi with a generous selection of toppings and sauces. Alternatively, how down a wagyu burger with taleggio cheese or for the carb-conscious, the smoked trout or beetroot and feta salads are must tries.

It isn’t, however, all about pasta. We all know that breakfast is the most important meal of the day – and here is where your choice won’t leave you feeling worn out by midday. Two favourites include the 3 egg omelette with king brown mushrooms or the French toast, doused with honeycomb butter, lemon curd, raspberry, mint and pear.

Whatever time of day it is, the new Panzerotti Bar won’t leave you disappointed, and sitting in for an easy-going lunch is much more spectacular now that they’ve opened up to the world and offering an even snazzier food and drink selection.

It wasn’t long ago that the only coffee to be found on the North Shore of Sydney came from Nespresso tins in the pantry or, at best, the local bakery. But fresh, funky little cafés like ReplayEspressoin Turramurra are changing all that.

Tucked away just off the Pacific Highway, next to Turramurra train station, Replay is the answer to the coffee lovers suburban wonderings of where to find a decent brew. The delicately made Gabriel Coffee is a welcome relief from the mediocre, milky blends that you regularly find once you’re more than 10km’s outside of the inner suburbs.

The smiling young waitress recommended the BLT, and didn’t miss the mark. The just crunchy bacon, fresh rocket and tomato were the simple satisfaction tailor made for a Friday afternoon. And there’s something about eating off a wooden chopping board that makes you think: ‘I just became that little bit more in touch with my inner Surry Hills.’

With the day’s assorted newspapers sitting just under the funky communal H2O tap, there aren’t many boxes left unchecked on the modern rustic café’s list of must haves.

It’s no wonder there’s rarely a seat left unfilled. Fear not though, Beat the Q’s availability and Replay’s highway vicinity mean that you’ll be in and out with your caffeine fix in a jiffy if your schedule demands it.

What a wonderful experience my friends and I had the other day as we devoured several perfectly blended hot-drip coffees, fudgy chocolate brownies and enough egg and cheese dishes to destroy someone with lactose intolerance’s insides.

Creamy and mouth-watering, hearing that many of the products are made onsite (including that wonderful, wonderful ricotta) just seems to add a huge sense of credibility to your kitchen skills. Kudos to your chef/s for churning out such splendidly plated dishes – I’m currently craving the rhubarb and orange blossom pistachio labneh parfait, the blood red and coconut white hues positioned on the table opposite us were demanding our tummy-rumbling attention.

Breakfast beauties – the Avocado Smash and Croque Monsieur

You’re one of those places that no matter how grand or quaint a meal seems, there wasn’t any food regret. Each of our plates was stacked a few inches high, my Avocado Heaven layered with two perfectly poached eggs, ruby red tomatoes, smashed avocado and baby spinach on top of locally-sourced Brickfields sourdough.

My mates also picked well – I have to admit, your attention to detail when plating dishes is so on point that I couldn’t help but nibble on what they ordered – the scrambled eggs (goats chèvre, spinach and giant field mushrooms) and croque monsieur (free range ham and horseradish clotted cream sandwich with fried egg) were out of this world.

Ready for the taking – cinnamon scrolls and other sweets are sourced locally.

We enjoyed making our way through the whimsical décor and past the open-plan kitchen to the intimate courtyard out back, lounging across a surprisingly comfortable wooden bench in Sydney’s sunshine, sipping at Little Marionette cappuccinos and iced mochas as a gentle breeze kicked up.

You’ve won us over – and we, or at least I, certainly cannot wait for a glorious return to try several other menu items (I’m looking at you, ricotta pancakes and coconut milk chai with nutmeg and star anise). But hearing that as of November 28 you’re staying open a little later for dinner service between 6pm and 9pm, perhaps I’ll have to swing by and munch on an entirely different menu.

Cheers for the eye-opening inner-west brekkie experience. It was, to say the least, delicious.

It’s no secret that Newtown eateries can whip together a mean brekkie. Ryan Auberson-Walsh fesses up as to why Hoochie Mamma Cafe is the perfect amount of naughty.

Strategically positioned opposite the Sydney University Village, Hoochie’s ample space (with over 100 seats) serves the bustling student population very well come lunchtime.

Featuring the likes of an ocean trout salad garnished with heirloom tomato and horseradish, you’ll struggle to choose something from the impressive menu. It, along with incredibly an rich classic Caesar, are definitely at the top of Sydney’s salad options. But as tasty and creamy as some of the salads, pastas (one can never say no to the prawn linguini) and sandwiches are, Hoochie is all about the ultimate breakfast.

Dished out between 7am and 3 in the afternoon, anyone from uni students to all night partiers (though we could suggest they’re one and the same) can roll out of bed and still chow down effortlessly crisp bacon or toasted muesli.

Yet vegetarians should not despair – around half the choices are suitably overloaded with fruits and frijoles instead of being crammed with meat. Give the ricotta hotcakes (topped with sour cherries, vanilla bean mascarpone and toasted almonds) or brekkie bruschetta (ricotta, field mushrooms, roast tomato, avocado and parsley) a whirl – both are plated to perfection, and just as magnificent in your stomach as on your plate.

Fully-licensed, anyone up for continuing a potential bender-breakfast can sip on a wine, beer or cider. Though we strongly encourage you to choose a hot coffee – they’re ideal to have with one of the daily baked muffins that in the past have ranged from fig, walnut and mascarpone to boysenberry and white chocolate.